T 

•P5 



THE 



AJiATEUR's Handbook 



PRACTICAL INFORMATION 



FOR THE WORKSHOP AND THE LABORATORY, 



CONTAINING CLEAR AND FULL DIRFCTIONS FOR 

Bronzing, Lacquering, Polishing Metal, Staining and 
Polishing Wood, Soldering, Brazing, ^Vorking Steel, 
Tempering Tools, Case-hardening, Cutting and 
^A^o^king Glass, Varnishing, Silvering, Gilding, Pre- 
paring Skins, Waterproofing, Making Alloys, Fusible 
Metals, Cements, Glues, <&c., <&e. 



T'RICB W CBjVTS. 



NEW YORK : 
fllE INDUSTRIAL PUBLICATION CO. 

1878. 

i^* A Copy of this book will be sent to any Address post-paid on 
receipt of ten one-cent stamps, I. P. Co., fft Broadway, N. V, 

Copyright sbcurbo, 1878. 



THE YOUNG SCIENTIST, 

A Practical Joumal for Amateurs. 

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AMATEUR'S Handbook 



OF 



PRACTICAL INFORMATION 



FOR THE WORKSHOP AND THE LABORATORY, 



CONTAINING CLEAR AND FULL DIRECTIONS FOR 

Bronzing, Lacquering, Polishing Metal, Staining and 
Polishing Wood, Soldering, Brazing, Working Steel, 
Tempering Tools, Case - hardening. Cutting and 
Working Glass, Varnishing, Silvering, Gilding, Pre- 
paring Skins, Waterproofing, Making Alloys, Fusible 
Metals, Cements, Glues, &e., c&e. 



/ 



TmcB W Cb.atts. 



NEW YORK : 
THE INDUSTRIAL PUBLICATION CO. 

1878. 



A Copy of this book will be sent to any Address post-paid on 
receipt of ten one-cent stamps, /. P. Co.^ 176 Broadway^ N. K 

COPYKIGHT SBCCRED, ISTg. 






.~?5 






PREFACE. 



It is a fact well known to the editors of scientific and 
technical journals, that there are a series of questions to 
which answers are continually desired by new subscribers, 
no matter how often these questions may have been previous- 
ly discussed. To give a reply to every one, in the columns 
of the journal, would be an injustice to other readers; to 
reply to each by letter would be an endless task, and to ig- 
nore them entirely would be inadmissible. Fortunately the 
majority of tliese questions may be fully and thoroughly an- 
swered once for all in a few pages of type, and this is the 
end and aim of the present work, which will be sent to 
every subscriber to the YouNQ Scientist that will send his 
address and six one cent stamps. 

The utmost care has been taken to give none but trust- 
worthy directions and recipes. Most persons who have oc- 
casion to consult an ordinary book of recipes must be pain- 
fully aware of the fact that accuracy seems to be the last 
quality sought for by the compilers and indeed by most of 
those who contribute recipes to our technical journals. 
With them complexity is in more favor than efficiency, and 
we therefore see long lists of ingredients strung out one 
after the other, most of them being useless and some being 
even injurious. All this we have tried to avoid, and we feel 
confident that the amateur and those whose skill and ex- 
perience is not very great will find an efficient guide in this 
little book. 

Editor Young Scientist. 
New York, October, 1878. 



CONTENTS 



PAGE 

Alloys. — Alloy for Filling Holes in Iron. — Aluminium 
Silver. —Amalgam for Silvering the Insides of Glass 
Globes, etc. — Amalgam for Electrical Machines. — 
Copper Amalgam. — Babbitt Metal for Lining Boxes. 
— Fusible Alloys. — Pewter. — ^Type Metal 7 

Brazing and Soldering 9 

Bronzing. — Dark Bronze for Brass Instruments. — Red 

Bronze for ditto. — Bright Bronze. — Antique Bronze. 10 

Browning Gun Barrels. — Process of Browning. — 

Varnish for Browned Barrels , 11 

Case-Hardening.— Deep Process. — Surface Process. . . 12 
Cements. — Aquarium Cement. — Armenian Cement. — 
Buckland's Cement for Labels. — Cement for Glass, 
Earthenware, etc. — Cement for Kerosene Lamps. — 
Cement for attaching Leather to Metal. — Cement for 
Leather Belting. — Cement for attaching Metal to 
Glass. — Cementing Labels to Metal. — Cheese Ce- 
ment for Mending China, etc. — Chinese Cement 
{sMo liao). — Chinese Cement. — Faraday's Cement, — 
Electrical Cement. — Glue. — Iron Cement. — Cast 
Iron Cement. — Japanese Cement. — Liquid Glue. — 
Mouth Glue. — Mucilage for Labels. — Paris Cement 
for Mending Shells, etc. — Paste. — Sorel's Cement. — 
Transparent Cement for Glass. — Turner's Cement. 
— Wollaston's Cement , 13 

Liquid for Desilyering 19 

Etching Liquid for Steel 19 

Etching on Glass 19 

Gilding. — Gilding on Leather, Cloth, etc. — Gilding 

Wood.— Gilding Metals 20 

Glass Working. — Cutting Glass. — Drilling Holes in 
Glass. — Turning Glass in the Lathe. — To Remove 
Tight Glass Stoppers 20 

Hardening Copper, Brass, etc 23 



PAGE 

Inks. — Black Ink. — Runge's Black Ink. — Blue Ink. — 
Carmine Ink. — Red Ink. — Marking Ink for Linen. — 
Gold Ink. — Silver iDk. — Sympathetic or Secret Ink 
for writing privately on Postal Cards, Letters, etc. 23 

Lacquer. — Process for Lacquering. — Deep Gold Lac- 
quer. — Bright Gold Lacquer. — Pale Gold Lacquer. 
— Lacquer used by A. Ross 24 

Lubricators. — Fine Lubricating Oil. — Booth's Axle 

Grease. — Anti- Attrition 26 

Polishing Metals 27 

Polishing Wood 29 

Silvering. — Process for Silvering. — Silvering Powder. 

— Novargent. — Silvering Amalgam 30 

Skins, Tanning and Curing. — Curing Fur Skins. — 
To Prepare Sheep Skins for Mats.— Skins of Rab- 
bits and other Small Animals 31 

Staining Wood. — Processes for Staining and Improv- 
ing Wood. — Mahogany. — Ebonizing Wood. — Black 
Walnut Stain. — Brown Stain 31 

Steel, Working and Tempering.-— Forging Steel.— 
To Restore Burnt Cast Steel.— Hardening and Tem- 
pering Steel 34 

Varnishes. — White Spirit Varnish. — Shellac Varnish. 

— Turpentine Varnish. — Varnish for Violins. — 
White, Hard Garnish. — White Varnish for Paper. 

— Mastic Varnish. — Map Varnish. — Varnish for 
Bright Iron Work. — Black Varnish for Iron 36 

Waterproofing. — General Principles. — To Render 
Leather Waterproof. — Waterproof Canvas for Cov- 
ering Carts, etc. — To Make Sail Cloth Impervious 
to Water. — Waterproofing Cloth, etc. 37 

Miscellaneous Recipes. — To Remove Blue Color 
from Steel or Iron. — Size for Improving poor Draw- 
ing Paper. — To Fix Pencil Marks so they will not 
rub out. —Cure for Burns.— Care of Looking-glasses. 
— Secret of Laundry Gloss. — Kalsomine. — Mate- 
rials and Process for.— To Stain Dried Grass.— Sig- 
nal Lights ; Bengal Light ; Blue Light ; Red Light ; 
White Light 40 



AMATEUE^S HAI^DBOOK 



Alloys. 

Alloy for filling holes in Iron. — Lead, 9 ; antimony, 2 ; bis- 
muth, 1. This alloy expands in cooling, so that when a hole 
is filled with the melted alloy, the plug is not loose when it 
is cold. 

Aluminium Silver. — Copper, 70 ; nickel, 33 ; aluminum, 7. 
Has a beautiful color and takes a high polish. 

Amalgam for Silvering the insides of Globes, etc. — 1. Lead, 
2oz ; tin, 2oz ; bismuth, 2oz ; mercury, 4oz. Melt the first 
three and add the mercury. The glass being well cleaned, 
is carefully warmed and the melted amalgam is poured in 
and the vessel turned round until all parts are coated. At a 
certain temperature this amalgam adheres readily to glass. 

2. Bismuth, 8; lead, 5; tin, 3; mercury, 8. Use as 
directed for No. 1. 

Amalgam for Electrical Machines. — 1. Tin, loz ; zinc, 
loz ; mercury, 2oz. 

2. Bcettger's. Zinc, 2oz ; mercury, loz. At a certain 
temperature (easily found by experiment) it powders readily 
and should be kept in a tightly corked bottle. Said to be 
very good. 

Copper Amalgam. — Dissolve 3oz. sulphate of copper in 
water and add loz. sulphuric acid Hang clean iron scraps 
in the solution until the copper has fallen down in fine pow- 
der. Wash this powder, and for each ounce of powder take 



XV Mk. XV A. Ail \J J.*l a 



7oz. of mercury. To incorporate the mercury and copper, 
first moisten the latter with protonitrate of mercury and then 
add the mercury and rub up in a mortar. When thoroughly 
mixed wash off all acid. This amalgam is easily moulded, 
adheres readily to glass, takes a fine polish and becomes quite 
hard in a short time. 

Babbitt's Anti- Attrition Metal for lining Boxes,— First 
melt four pounds of copper, and, when melted, add, by de- 
grees, twelve pounds best quality Banca tin ; then add eight 
pounds regulus of antimony,and then twelve pounds more of 
tin, while the composition is in a melted state. After the cop- 
per is melted, and four or five pounds of tin have been added, 
the heat should be lowered to a dull red heat, in order to 
prevent oxidation ; then add the remainder of the metal. In 
melting the composition it is better to keep a small quantity 
of powdered charcoal in the pot, on the surface of the metal. 

The above composition is made in the first place and is 
called hardening ; for lining work take one pound of the 
hardening and melt with two pounds Banca tin, which pro- 
duces the very best lining metal. So that the proportions for 
lining metal is four pounds copper, eight regulus of antimo- 
ny and ninety-six pounds tin. 

The object in first preparing the hardening is economy, 
for when the whole is melted together there is a great waste 
of metal, as the hardening is melted at a much less degree 
of heat than the copper and antimony separately. 

Fusible Alloys.— 1. Bismuth, 8 ; lead, 5 ; tin, 3 . Melts 
with the heat of boiling water. 

2. Lead, 3 ; tin, 2 ; bismuth, 5. Melts at 197 degrees, 
Fahrenheit. 

3. Bismuth, 15 ; lead, 8 ; tin, 4 ; cadmium, 3. Melts be- 
tween 150 and 160 deg. Fahr. 

Pewter,— Tin, 4 ; lead, 1. 

Type Metal.— Ijesid, 44 ; antimony, 8 ; tin, 1. 



HANDBOOK. 9 

Brazing and Soldering. 

The term soldering is generally applied wlien fusible al- 
loys of lead and tin are employed. When hard metals, such 
as copper, brass or silver are used, the term brazing (derived 
from brass) is more appropriate. 

In uniting tin, copper, brass, etc., with any of the soft 
solders, a copper soldering-iron is generally used. This tool 
and the manner of using it are too well known to need de- 
scription. In many cases, however, the work may be done 
more neatly without the soldering-iron, by filing or turning 
the joints so that they fit closely, moistening them with sol- 
dering fluid, placing a piece of smooth tin-foil between them, 
tying them together with binding wire and heating the 
whole in a lamp or fire till the tin-foil melts. We have 
often joined pieces of brass in this way so that the joints 
were quite invisible. Indeed, with good soft solder almost 
all work may be done over a lamp without the use of a sol- 
dering-iron. 

Advantage may be taken of the varying degrees of fusi- 
bility of solders to make several joints in the same piece of 
work. Thus, if the first joint has been made with fine tin- 
ner's solder, there would be no danger of melting it in mak- 
ing a joint near it with bismuth solder, composed of lead, 4, 
tin, 4, and bismuth, 1, and the melting point of both is far 
enough removed from that of a solder composed of lead, 2, 
tin, 1, and bismuth, 2, to be in no danger of fusion during 
the use of the latter. 

Soft solders do not make malleable joints. To join brass, 
copper or iron so as to have the joint very strong and mal- 
leable, hard solder must be used. For this purpose equal 
parts of silver and brass will be found excellent, though for 
iron, copper, or very infusible brass nothing is better than 
silver coin rolled out thin, which may be done by any silver- 
smith or dentist. This makes decidedly the toughest of all 



^IV AMATEUK B 

joints, and as a little silver goes a long way, it is not very 
expensive. 

For most hard solders borax is the best flux. It dissolves 
any oxides which may exist on the surface of the metal and 
protects the latter from the further action of the air, so that 
the solder is enabled to come into actual contact with the 
surfaces which are to be joined. For soft solders the best 
flux is a soldering fluid which may be prepared by saturat- 
ing equal parts of water and hydrochloric acid (spirit of salt) 
with zinc. The addition of a little sal ammoniac is said to 
improve it. In using ordinary tinner's solder, resin is the 
best and cheapest flux. It possesses this important advan- 
tage over chloride of zinc, that it does not induce subsequent 
corrosion of the article to which it is applied. When chlo- 
rides have been applied to any thing that is liable to rust, it is 
necessary to see that they are thoroughly washed off and the 
articles carefully dried. 

More minute directions may be found in the Young 
Scientist, vol. I, page 56. 

Bronzing. 

Two distinct processes have had this name applied to 
them. The first consists in staining brass work a dark brown 
or bronze color and lacquering it ; the second consists in par- 
tially corroding the brass so as to give it that greenish hue 
which is peculiar to ancient brass work. The first is gener- 
ally applied to instruments and apparatus, the second to 
articles of ornament. 

Bronze for Brass Instruments.— 1. The cheapest and sim- 
plest is undoubtedly a light coat of plumbago or black lead. 
After brushing the article with plumbago place it on a clear 
fire till it is made too hot to be touched. Apply a plate 
brush as soon as it ceases to be hot enough to burn the brush. 
A few strokes of the brush will produce a dark brown polish 



nAJNUiiuuK. rr 



approaching black, but entirely distinct from the well known 
appearance of black lead. Lacquer with any desired tint. 

2. Plate powder or rouge may be used instead of plum- 
bago and gives very beautiful effects. 

3. Make the articles bright, then dip in aqua fortis, which 
must be thoroughly rinsed off* with clean water. Then make 
the following mixture : Hydrochloric acid, 6 lbs.; sulphate 
of iron, ^ lb.; white arsenic, J lb. Be careful to get all the 
ingredients pure. Let the articles lie in the mixture till 
black, take out and dry in hot sawdust, polish with black 
lead and lacquer with green lacquer. 

Antique Bro7ize.—J)isso]ve loz. sal-ammoniac, 3oz. cream 
tartar and 6oz. common salt in 1 pint of hot water; add 
2oz. nitrate of copper dissolved in ^ pint of water ; mix well 
and, by means of a brush, apply it repeatedly to the article, 
which should be placed in a damp situation. 

Browning Gun Barrelis. 

To obtain a handsomely browned barrel we must not only 
use a first rate recipe but we must apply a good deal of skill 
and no small amount of hard work. When barrels are im- 
perfectly browned the fault lies more frequently in defective 
work than in the use of a poor recipe. 

The following are the directions given in the United 
States Ordnance Manual, and it is to be presumed that these 
are the directions that are followed in the government 
armories. 

Materials for Browning Mixture.— Spirits of wine, IJoz.; 
tincture of steel, IJoz.; corrosive sublimate, l^oz.;' sweet 
spirits of nitre, IJoz.; blue vitriol, loz.; nitric acid, foz. To 
be mixed and dissolved in one quart of warm water, the 
mixture to be kept in glass bottles and not in earthen jugs. 

Previous to commencing the operation of browning it is 
necessary that the barrel or other part should be made quite 



12 amateur's 

bright with emery or a fine smooth file (but not burnished), 
after which it must be carefully cleaned from all greasiness ; 
a small quantity of powdered lime rubbed well over every 
part of the barrel, is the best for this purpose. Plugs of 
wood are then to be put into the muzzle of the barrel and 
into the vent, and the mixture applied to every part with a 
clean sponge or rag. The barrel is then to be exposed to the 
air for twenty-four hours, after which time it is to be well 
rubbed over with a steel scratch-card or scratch-brush, until 
the rust is entirely removed ; the mixture may then be ap- 
plied again, as before, and in a few hours the barrel will be 
sufliciently corroded for the operation of scratch-brushing to 
be repeated. The same process of scratching off the rust 
and applying the mixture is to be repeated twice or three 
times a day for four or five days, by which time the barrel 
will be of a very dark brown color. 

When the barrel is sufficiently brown and the rust has 
been carefully removed from every part, about a quart of 
boiling water should be poured over every part of the barrel 
in order that the action of the acid mixture upon the barrel 
may be destroyed and the rust thereby prevented from 
rising again. 

The barrel, when cold, should afterwards be rubbed over 
with linseed oil or sperm oil. It is particularly directed 
that the steel scratch-card or scratch-brush be used in the 
place of a hard hair-brush, otherwise the browning will not 
be durable nor have a good appearance. 

Varnish for Browned /?'(?7i.— Shellac, loz.; dragon's 
blood, -^ of an oz.; alcohol, 1 quart. 

Very complete directions for browning barrels may be 
found in a little book called *' Shooting on the Wing," which 
may be obtained from the publishers of this volume. 

Case Hardening. 

1. Where it is desired that the articles should be hard- 



HANDBOOK. 13 

ened to a considerable depth : char a quantity of bones just 
enough {and no more) to enable you to powder them with a 
hammer. Lay a layer of this bone dust over the bottom of 
an iron tray or box, which may be easily made by bending 
heavy sheet iron into form. Lay the articles to be hardened 
on the bone dust, taking care that they do not touch each 
other. Cover with bone dust and fill up the tray with spent 
dust, charcoal or sand. Expose to a bright cherry red heat for 
half an hour or an hour and then turn the entire contents of 
the tray into a vessel of cold water. We have seen beautiful 
results obtained by this process when carried out in a com- 
mon kitchen stove. 

2. Where mere superficial hardening is required, heat 
the article to be hardened to a bright cherry red ; sprinkle 
it liberally with powdered prussiate of potash. The salt 
will fuse, and if the piece of iron is small and gets cooled, 
heat it again and plunge into cold water. 

Cements. 

Aquarium Cement. — Litharge, fine, white, dry sand and 
plaster of Paris, each 1 gill; finely pulverized resin, i gill. 
Mix thoroughly and make into a paste with boiled linseed 
oil to which dryer has been added. Beat it well and let it 
stand four or five hours before using it. After it has stood 
for 15 hours, however, it loses its strength. Glass cemented 
into its frame with this cement is good for either salt or fresh 
water. It has been used at the Zoological Gardens, London, 
with great success. It might be useful for constructing 
tanks for other purposes or for stopping leaks. 

Armenian Cement. — The jewellers of Turkey, who are 
mostly Armenians, have a singular method of ornamenting 
watch-cases, etc., with diamonds and other precious stones by 
simply gluing or cementing them on. The stone is set in 
gold or silver, and the lower part of the metal made flat or 



to correspond with that part to which it is to be fixed. It 
is then warmed gently and the glue applied, which is so 
very strong that the parts thus cemented never separate. 
This glue, which will firmly unite bits of glass and even 
polished steel, and may of course be applied to a vast variety 
of useful purposes, is thus made : Dissolve five or six bits 
of gum mastic, each the size of a large pea, in as much 
alcohol as will suffice to render it liquid ; in another vessel 
dissolve as much isinglass, previously a little softened in 
water, (though none of the water must be used,) in good 
brandy or rum, as will make a two ounce phial of very strong 
glue, adding two small bits of gum galbanum, or ammoni- 
acum, which must be rubbed or ground until they are dis- 
solved. Then mix the whole with a sufficient heat, keep 
the glue in a phial closely stopped, and when it is to be used 
set the phial in boiling water. To avoid the cracking of the 
phial by exposure to such sudden heat, use a thin green 
glass phial, and hold it in the steam for a few seconds before 
immersing it in the hot water. 

Buckland's Cement for Labels. — Finely powdered white 
sugar, loz.; finely powdered starch, 3oz.; finely powdered 
gum arable, 4oz. Rub well together in a dry mortar ; then 
little by little add cold water until it is of the thickness of 
melted glue ; put in a wide mouthed bottle and cork closely. 
The powder, thoroughly ground and mixed, may be kept for 
any length of time in a wide mouthed bottle, and when 
wanted a little may be mixed with water with a stiff brush. 

Cement for Glass, Earthenware, etc. — Dilute white of egg 
with its bulk of water and beat up thoroughly. Mix to the 
consistence of thin paste with powdered quicklime. Must 
be used immediately. 

Cement for Kerosene Lamps. — The cement commonly 
used is plaster of Paris, which is porous and quickly pene- 
trated by the kerosene. Another cement which has not this 



MAJS DiJOUJl. j-y 

defect is made with three parts of resin, one of caustic soda 
and five of water. This composition is mixed with half its 
weight of plaster of Paris. It sets firmly in about three- 
quarters of an hour. It is said to be of great adhesive power, 
not permeable to kerosene, a low conductor of heat and but 
superficially attacked by hot water. 

Cement for attaching Leather to Metal. — Wash the metal 
with hot gelatine ; steep the leather in an infusion of nut 
galls (hot) and bring the two together. 

Cement for Leather Belting. — One who has tried every- 
thing says that after an experience of fifteen years he has 
found nothing to equal the following : Common glue and 
isinglass, equal parts, soaked for 10 hours in just enough 
water to cover them. Bring gradually to a boiling heat and 
add pure tannin until the whole becomes ropy or appears 
like the white of eggs. Buff off the surfaces to be joined, 
apply this cement warm, and clamp firmly. 

Cement for attaching Metal to Glass. — Copal varnish, 15 ; 
drying oil, 5 ; turpentine, 3. Melt in a water bath and add 
10 parts slacked lime. 

Cementing Labels to Metal. — For attaching labels to tin 
and other bright metallic surfaces, first rub the surface with 
a mixture of muriatic acid and alcohol ; then apply the label 
with a very thin coating of the paste and it will adhere al- 
most as well as on glass. 

Cheese Cement for mending China, etc. — Take skim milk 
cheese, cut it in slices and boil it in water. Wash it in cold 
water and knead it in warm water several times. Place it 
warm on a levigating stone and knead it with quicklime. 
It will join marble, stone or earthenware so that the joining 
is scarcely to be discovered. 

Chinese Cement {Schio-liao). — To three parts of fresh 
beaten blood are added four parts of slaked lime and a little 



16 amateur's 

alum ; a thin, pasty mass is produced, which can be used im- 
mediately. Objects which are to be made specially water- 
proof are painted by the Chinese twice, or at the most three 
times. Dr. Scherzer saw in Pekin a wooden box which had 
travelled the tedious road via Siberia to St. Petersburg and 
back, which was found to be perfectly sound and water- 
proof. Even baskets made of straw became, by the use oJ 
this cement, perfectly serviceable in the transportation oi 
oil. Pasteboard treated therewith receives the appearance 
and strength of wood. Most of the wooden public buildings 
of China are painted with schio-liao, which gives them ar 
unpleasant reddish appearance, but adds to their durability, 
This cement was tried in the Austrian department of Agri- 
culture, and by the "Vienna Association of Industry," and 
in both cases the statements of Dr. Scherzer were found tc 
be strictly accurate. 

Chinese Cement. — Shellac dissolved in alcohol. Used foi 
joining wood, earthenware, glass, etc. 

Faraday's Cap Cement. — Electrical Cement. — Resin, 5oz.; 
beeswax, loz.; red ochre or Venetian red in powder, loz. 
Dry the earth thoroughly on a stove at a temperature above 
212 deg. Melt the wax and resin together and stir in the 
powder by degrees. Stir until cold lest the earthy mattei 
settle to the bottom. Used for fastening brass work to glass 
tubes, flasks, etc. 

Glue is undoubtedly the most important cement used in 
the arts. Good glue is hard, clear (not necessarily light-col- 
ored, however,) and free from bad taste and smell. Glue 
which is easily dissolved in cold water is not strong. Good 
glue merely swells in cold water and must be heated to the 
boiling point before it will dissolve thoroughly. Great care 
must be taken not to burn it and, therefore, it should always 
be prepared in a water bath. 

Iron Cement for closing the Joints of I/ron Pipes. — Take 



JtLjrva:^ xyx»vr\7i».» 



of iron borings coarse powdered, 5 pounds ; powdered sal- 
ammoniac, 2oz.; sulphur, loz., and water sufficient to moisten 
it. This composition hardens rapidly ; but if time can be al- 
lowed it sets more firmly without the sulphur. It must be 
used as soon as mixed and rammed tightly into the joints. 

Cast Iron Cement. — Take sal-ammoniac, 2oz.; sublimed 
sulphur, loz.; cast-iron filings or fine turnings, 1 lb. Mix in 
a mortar and keep the powder dry. When it is to be used, 
mix it with twenty times its weight of clean iron turnings 
or filings, and grind the whole in a mortar ; then wet it with 
water until it becomes of convenient consistence, when it is 
to be applied to the joint. After a time it becomes as hard 
and strong as any part of the metal. 

Japanese Cement. — Paste made of fine rice flour. 

Liquid Glue. — 1. Dissolve 8oz. glue in J pint of water 
and add slowly 2^z. strong nitric acid. 

2. Dissolve glue in strong vinegar. 

Mouth Glue or Portable Glue. — Good glue, lib.; isinglass, 
4oz. Soften in water, boil and add Jib. fine brown sugar. 
Boil till pretty thick and pour into moulds. 

Mucilage for Labels. — 1. Macerate 5 parts of good glue in 
18 parts of water. Boil and add 9 parts rock candy and 3 
parts gum arable. 

3. Mix dextrine with water and add a drop or two of 
glycerine. 

3. A mixture of 1 part of dry chloride of calcium, or 
2 parts of the same salt in the crystallized form, and 36 parts 
of gum arable, dissolved in water to a proper consistency, 
forms a mucilage which holds well, does not crack by drying 
and yet does not attract sufficient moisture from the air to 
become wet in damp weather. 

Paris Cement for mending Shells and other specimens, — 
Gum arable, 5 ; sugar candy, 2. White lead. 



Paste. — 1. The best paste is made of good flour, well 
boiled. Resin, etc., do more harm than good. 

2. An excellent white paste may be made by dissolving 
2^oz. gum arable in 2 quarts hot water and thickening with 
wheat flour. To this is added a solution of alum and sugar 
of lead ; the mixture is heated and stirred till about to boil, 
when it is allowed to cool. 

3. Four parts, by weight, of glue are allowed to soften in 
15 parts of cold water for some hours, and then moderately 
heated till the solution becomes quite clear. 65 parts of 
boiling water are now added with stirring. In another ves- 
sel 30 parts of starch paste are stirred up with 20 parts of 
cold water, so that a thin milky fluid is obtained without 
lumps. Into this the boiling glue solution is poured, with 
constant stirring, and the whole is kept at the boiling tem- 
perature. After cooling 10 drops of carbolic acid are added 
to the paste. This paste is of extraordinary adhesive power 
and may be used for leather, paper, or cardboard with great 
success. It must be preserved in closed bottles to prevent 
evaporation of the water, and will, in this way, keep good 
for years. 

4. Rice flour makes an excellent paste for fine paper 
work. 

SoreVs Cement. — Mix commercial zinc white with i its, 
bulk of fine sand, adding a solution of chloride of zinc of 1.26 
specific gravity, and rub the whole thoroughly together in a 
mortar. The mixture must be applied at once, as it hardens 
very quickly. 

Transparent Cement for glass. — Fine Canada balsam. 

Turner's Cement. — Melt lib. of resin in a pan over the 
fire and, when melted, add a J of a lb. of pitch. While these 
are boiling add brick dust until, by dropping a little on a 
cold stone, you think it hard enough. In winter it may be 
necessary to add a little tallow. By means of this cement a 



piece of wood may be fastened to the chuck, which will 
hold when cool ; and when the work is finished it may be 
removed by a smart stroke with the tool. Any traces of the 
cement may be removed from the work by means of benzine. 

Wollastoii's White Cement for large objects. — Beeswax, 
loz.; resin, 4oz.; powdered plaster of Paris, 5oz. Melt to- 
gether. To use, warm the edges of the specimen and use the 
cement warm. 

Desilvering. 

2'o Dissolve the Silver off old Plated Goods. — Mix loz. of 
finely powdered saltpetre with lOoz. sulphuric acid and 
steep the goods in this mixture. If diluted with water it 
acts on copper and other metals, but if very strong it dis- 
solves the silver only, and may be used to dissolve silver oflf 
plated goods without affecting the other metals. 

Etching. 

Etching Liquid for Steel. — Mix loz. sulphate of copper, 
^oz. of alum and ^ a tea-spoonful of salt reduced to powder, 
with 1 gill of vinegar and 20 drops of nitric acid. This 
liquid may be used either for eating deeply into the metal 
or for imparting a beautiful frosted appearance to the sur- 
face, according to the time it is allowed to act. Cover the 
parts you wish to protect from its influence with beeswax, 
tallow, or some similar substance. 

Etching on Glass. — Fancy work, ornamental figures 
lettering and monograms are most easily and neatly cut 
into glass by the sand blast process, a simple apparatus for 
which will be found described in the Young Scientist. Lines 
and figures on tubes, jars, etc., may be deeply etched by 
smearing the surface of the glass with beeswax, drawing 
the lines with a steel point and exposing the glass to the 
fumes of hydrofluoric acid. This acid is obtained by putting 



TSAT 



jrk.JSJL.r%.J.j^ KJ -Lt 



powdered fluor spar into a tray made of sheet lead and pour- 
ing sulphuric acid on it, after which the tray is slightly 
warmed. 

Gilding. 

Gilding on Leather, Clotli, etc.—l. Articles of this kind 
may be gilded by first smearing them with diluted white of 
egg and then stamping the pattern (letters or any other 
device) with a hot metallic stamp. The superfluous gold is 
removed by means of a tuft of cotton. To gild wood, etc., 
first make the surface quite smooth, then coat with gold 
size, and when the latter has dried so as to be tacky, apply 
o-old leaf. When well dried^burnish with some smooth tool, 
preferably a bit of agate. 

2. Ornamental lines of gilding may be painted on wood 
and other articles by means of a fine camel hairbrush, using 
shell gold, which may be had at the artists' supply stores. 

Gilding Metals.— Volished steel may be beautifully gilded 
by means of the ethereal solution of gold. Dissolve pure 
gold in aqua regia, evaporate gently to dryness, so as to drive 
ofi'the superfluous acid, re-dissolve in water and add three 
times its bulk of sulphuric ether. Allow to stand for twen- 
ty-four hours in a stoppered bottle and the ethereal solution 
of gold will float at top. Polished steel dipped in this is at 
once beautifully gilded, and by tracing patterns on the sur- 
face of the metal with any kind of varnish, beautiful de- 
vices in plain metal and gilt will be produced. For other 
metals the electro process is the best. 

Glass Working. 

Glass is usually brought into shape by being moulded or 
blown. Simple and complete directions for blowing small 
articles may be found in the Young Scientist, vol. i, p. 37. 



HANDBOOK. ZL 

There are a few other operations, however, which are con- 
stantly needed by the amateur and which we will describe. 

Cutting Glass. — For cutting flat glass, such as window- 
panes, and for cutting rounds or ovals out of flat glass, the 
diamond is the best tool ; and, if the operator has no dia- 
mond it will always pay to carry the job to a glazier rather 
than waste time and make a poor job by other and inferior 
means. When, however, it is required to cut off" a very lit- 
tle from a circle or oval, the diamond is not available, ex- 
cept in very skilful hands. In this case a pair of pliers soft- 
ened by heating, or very dull scissors is the best tool, and 
the cutting is best performed under water. A little practice 
will enable the operator to shape a small round or oval with 
great rapidity, ease and precision. When bottles or flasks 
are to be cut, the diamond is still the best tool in skilful 
hands ; but ordinary operators will succeed best with pas- 
tilles, or a red hot poker with a pointed end. We prefer the 
latter, as being the most easily obtained and the most effi- 
cient ; and we have never found any difficulty in cutting ofi 
broken flasks so as to make dishes, or to carry a cut spirally 
round a long bottle so as to cut it into the form of a cork- 
screw. And, by the way, when so cut, glass exhibits consid- 
erable elasticity, and the spiral may be elongated like a 
ringlet. The process is very simple. The line of the cut 
should be marked by chalk or by pasting a thin strip of 
paper alongside of it ; then make a file mark to commence 
the cut ; apply the hot iron and a crack will start ; and this 
crack will follow the iron wherever we choose to lead it. 
In this way jars are easily made out of old bottles, and 
broken vessels of different kinds may be cut up into new 
forms. Flat glass may also be cut iuto the most intricate 
and elegant forms. The red hot iron is fai superior to strings 
wet with turpentine, friction, etc. 

DrUling Glass. — For drilling holes in glass, a common 



" ff - ^ amaxxiXiiv a 



Steel drill, well made and well tempered, is the best tool. 
The steel should be forged at a low temperature, so as to be 
sure not to burn it, and then tempered as hard as possible in 
a bath of salt water that has been well boiled. Such a drill 
will go through glass very rapidly if kept well moistened 
with turpentine in which some camphor has been dissolved. 
Dilute sulphuric acid is equally good, if not better. It is 
stated, that at Berlin, glass castings for pump-barrels, etc., 
are drilled, planed and bored, like iron ones, and in the same 
lathes and machines, by the aid of sulphuric acid. A little 
practice with these different plans will enable the operator 
to cut and work glass as easily as brass or iron. 

Turning Glass in the Lathe.— B\2.Qk diamonds are now so 
easily procured that they are the best tools for turning, 
planing or boring glass where much work is to be done. 
With a good diamond a skilful worker can turn a lens out 
of a piece of flat glass in a few seconds, so that it will be 
very near the right shape. 

Glass Stoppers.— l^o remove glass stoppers when tightly 
fixed, it has been recommended to apply a cloth wet in hot 
water. This is an inconvenient and frequently unsuccessful 
method. The great object is to expand the neck of the bot- 
tle so as to loosen it on the stopper. If, however, the latter 
be heated and expanded equally with the former the desired 
effect is not produced ; and this is often the case in applying 
hot water. By holding the neck of the bottle about half an 
inch above the flame of a lamp or candle, for a few seconds, 
we have never failed in the most obstinate cases. The 
hands should be wrapped in a towel and great care should 
be taken not to let the flame touch the glass, as this might 
cause it to crack. The bottle should be kept rapidly turn- 
ing, during the operation, so as to bring all parts of the neck 
equally under the influence of the heat, when it will be 
rapidly expanded and the stopper may be withdrawn by a 



steady pull and twist. Sometimes it is necessary to tap the 
stopper lightly with a piece of wood ; the jar is very apt to 
loosen the stopper. To twist the stopper, make, in a piece 
of wood, an oblong hole into which the stopper will just fit. 

Hardening and Annealing Copper, Brass, etc. 

Copper, brass, German silver and similar metals are 
hardened by hammering, rolling or wire drawing and are 
softened by being heated red hot and plunged in water. 
Copper, by being alloyed with tin, may be made so hard 
that cutting instruments may be made of it. This is the old 
process of hardening copper, which is so often claimed to be 
one of the lost arts. 

Inks. 

Black Ink.—l. In 1 gallon of water boil lib. bruised Aleppo 
galls for two hours and strain when cold. Dissolve S^oz. 
sulphate of iron and ooz. gum arable in as little water as is 
necessary and mix the two liquids with constant stirring. 
Keep in a tall bottle, allow it to settle for some days and it 
will be ready for use. 

2. It is said that the juice of elderberries to which sul- 
phate of iron has been added, makes a good ink. The best 
formula is said to be 12^ pints juice and ioz. each sulphate 
of iron and crude pyroligneous acid. 

Bunge's Black /?i^'.— Digest Jib. logwood in chips for 12 
hours in 3 pints boiling water. Simmer down gently to 1 
quart, filter and add 20 grains yellow chromate of potassa. 

Blue Ink. — Take 6 drachms pure Prussian blue and 1 
drachm oxalic acid. Grrind in a mortar with a little water 
until they form a perfectly smooth paste. Dissolve a sufii- 
cient quantity of this paste in water to give the proper tint. 

Carmine //z^.— Dissolve 12 grains pure carmine in 3 oz. 
water of ammonia and add 18 grains powdered gum arable. 



:i^ AMATEUR'S 

Bed Ink. — Boil ^Ib. of Brazil wood, :Joz. of gum, |oz. 
of sugar and Joz. of alum in a sufficient quantity of vinegar. 

Marking Ink for Linen, — Dissolve ^oz. nitrate of silver 
in loz. water and add strong liquid ammonia until the pre- 
cipitate which is at first formed is redissolved. Add 1^ 
drachm gum mucilage and enough coloring matter to render 
the writing clearly visible. The writing is made black by 
passing a hot iron over it. Keep in the dark. 

Gold Ink. — Grind gold leaf with honey in a mortar until 
it is reduced to a fine powder. Wash out the honey with 
hot water and add mucilage of gum arable. A cheap article 
may be made by using yellow bronze powder. 

Silver Ink. — Prepared in the same way as gold ink, using 
silver leaf or silver bronze powder. 

Sympathetic Ink or Secret Ink. — 1. Write with thin solu- 
tion of starch and let the correspondent wash with solution 
of iodine. 

2. Write with milk, onion juice or lem6n juice, and let 
the correspondent expose to heat. 

3. Write with solution of tartar emetic and wash with 
any alkaline sulphuret. Letters may be written on postal 
cards with these inks, and will remain invisible until 
washed with the appropriate solution or exposed to heat. 
To prevent the letters from being seen by close scrutiny the 
solutions should be very dilute, and to distract the attention 
of those not in the secret, write some unimportant matter, 
in lines far apart, and between them write the private matter 
in secret or sympathetic ink. 

Lacquer. 

Lacquer is so called because it usually contains gum lac, 
either shellac or seed lac. Seed lac is the original form of 
the gum or resin ; after being purified it is moulded into 
thin sheets, like shell, and hence is called shellac. Shellac 



HANDBOOK. 35 

is frequently bleached so as to become quite white, in which 
state it forms a colorless solution. Bleached shellac is never 
as strong as the gum in its natural condition, and unless it be 
fresh it neither dissolves well in alcohol nor does it preserve 
any metal to which it may be applied. 

There are many recipes for good lacquer, but the success 
of the operator depends quite as much upon skill as upon 
the particular recipe employed. The metal must be cleaned 
perfectly from grease and dirt, and in lacquering new work 
it is always best to lacquer as soon after polishing as possi- 
ble. Old lacquer may be removed with a strong lye of 
potash or soda, after which the work should be well washed 
in water, dried in fine beech or box- wood sawdust and pol- 
ished with whiting, applied with a soft brush. The condi- 
tion of the work, as to cleanliness and polish, is perhaps the 
most important point in. lacquering. 

The metal should be heated and the lacquer applied 
evenly with a soft camel hair brush. A temperature of 
about that of boiling water will be found right. 

Lacquer is colored either red with dragon's blood or yel- 
low with turmeric or gamboge. The following are a few 
favorite recipes. 

Beep Gold Lacquer.— K\qo\io\, ^ pint ; dragon's blood, 1 
drachm; seed lac, l^oz.; turmeric, ^oz. Shake up well for a 
week, at intervals of, say, a couple of hours ; then allow to 
settle, and decant the clear lacquer ; and if at all dirty filter 
through a tuft of cotton wool. This lacquer may be diluted 
with a simple solution of shellac in alcohol and will then 
give a paler tint. 

Bright Gold Lacquer.— 1. Turmeric, loz.; safiron Joz.. 
Spanish anatto, ioz.; alcohol, 1 pint. Digest at a gentle 
heat for several days; strain through coarse linen; put the 
tincture in a bottle and add 3oz. good seed lac coarsely pow- 
dered. Let it stand for several days, shaking occasionally. 
Allow to settle and use the clear liquid. 



26 AMATEUR'S 

2. Take loz. anatto and 8oz. alcohol. Mix in a bottle 
by themselves. Also mix separately loz. gamboge and 8oz. 
alcohol. With these mixtures color seed lac varnish to suit 
yourself. If it be too red add gamboge ; if too yellow add 
anatto ; if the color be too deep, add spirit. In this manner 
you may color brass of any desired tint. 

Pale Gold Lacquer. — Best pale shellac (picked pieces), 
8oz.; sandarac, 2oz.; turmeric, 8oz.; anatto, 2oz.; dragon's 
blood, ^oz.; alcohol, 1 gallon. Mix, shake frequently till 
the gums are dissolved and the color extracted from the col- 
oring matters and then allow to settle. 

Lacquer used hy A. Boss. — 4oz. shellac and ^Joz. gamboge 
are dissolved by agitation, without heat, in 24oz. pure pyro- 
acetic ether. The solution is allowed to stand until the 
gummy iii:uTpr^. not taken up by the SDirit, subside. The 
cl^ar liquor is ihen decanted, and when required for use is 
mixed with 8 times its quantity of alcohol. In this case the 
pyro-acetic ether is employed for dissolving the shellac in 
order to prevent any but the purely resinous portions being 
taken up, which is almost certain to occur with ordinary 
alcohol ; but if the lacquer were made entirely with pyro- 
acetic ether, the latter would evaporate too rapidly to allow 
time for the lacquer to be equally applied. 

Lubricators. 

j Mne Lubricating Oil. — 1. Put fine olive oil in a bottle with 
scrapings of lead and expose it to the sun for a few weeks. 
Pour off the clear oil for use. 

2. Freeze fine olive oil, strain out the liquid portion and 
preserve for use. 

Booth's Axle Grease. — Dissolve ^Ib. washing soda in 1 
gallon water and add 31bs. tallow and Gibs, palm oil. Heat to 
210 deg. Fahr., and keep constantly stirring until cooled to 
60 or 70 deg. 



HAN^DBOOK. 27 

Anti- Attrition. — Mix 41bs. tallow or soap with lib. finely 
ground plumbago. The best lubricator for wood working 
on wood. Excellent for wooden screws where great power 
is required. 

Polisliiiig Metals. 

Metals are polished either bv burnishing or buffing. The 
process of burnishing consists in rubbing down all the 
minute roughnesses by means of a highly polished steel or 
agate tool — none of the metal being removed. Buffing is 
performed by rubbing the metal with soft leather, which 
has been charged with very fine polishing powder. The 
rubbing is sometimes done by hand but more frequently the 
buff is made into a wheel which revolves rapidly in a lathe 
and the work is held against it. The best polishing powder 
is crocus or rouge, which may be purchased of any dealer in 
tools or may be made by exposing very clean and pure crys- 
tals of sulphate of iron to heat. Those portions which are 
least calcined, and are of a scarlet color, are suitable for soft 
metals like gold or silver ; those which have become red, 
purple or bluish purple are fit for brass or steel. The hard- 
est part will be found at the bottom of the crucible. 

Polishing Wood. 

Turned articles must be brought to a fine smooth surface 
with the finest sand-paper and the direction of the motion 
should be occasionally reversed so that the fibres which are 
laid down by rubbing one way may be raised up and cut off. 
To apply the polish, which is merely a solution of shellac in 
alcohol, take three or four thicknesses of linen rag and place 
a few drops of polish in the centre ; lay over this a single 
thickness of linen rag and a drop or two of raw linseed oil 
over the polish. The rubber is then applied with light fric- 
tion over the entire surface of the work while revolving in 



28 AMATEUR'S 

the lathe, never allowing the hand or mandrel to remain 
still for an instant, so as to spread the varnish as evenly as 
possible, especially at the commencement, and paying par- 
ticular attention to the internal angles, so as to prevent 
either deficiency or excess of varnish at those parts. The 
oil, in some degree, retards the evaporation of the spirit 
from the varnish and allows time for the process ; it also 
presents a smooth surface and lessens the friction against 
the tender gum. When the varnish appears dry, a second, 
third and even further quantities are applied in the same 
manner, working, of course, more particularly upon those 
parts at all slighted in the earlier steps. 

Flat surfaces are polished in a similar manner. The 
wood must first be filled, as it is called, and for this nothing 
is better than whiting colored so as to resemble the wood 
and kept dry. Rub the wood with linseed oil and then 
sprinkle it with whiting. Rub the latter well in, wdpe it off 
carefully and give time to dry. This is far superior to size. 

The polisher, however, generally consists of a wad of list 
rolled spirally, tied with twine and covered with a few thick- 
nesses of linen rag. Apply a little varnish to the middle of 
the rubber and then enclose the latter in a soft linen rag 
folded twice. Moisten the face of the linen ^vith a little raw 
linseed oil applied to the middle of it by means of the finger. 
Pass the rubber quickly and lightly over the surface of the 
work in small circular strokes until the varnish becomes 
nearly dry ; charge the rubber with varnish again and 
repeat the rubbing till three coats are laid on, when a little 
oil may be applied to the rubber and two more coats given 
it. Proceed in this way until the varnish has acquired some 
thickness; then wet the inside of the linen cloth, before ap- 
plying the varnish, with alcohol and rub quickly, lightly 
and uniformly the whole surface. Lastly wet the linen 
cloth with a little oil and alcohol, without varnish, and rub 
as before till dry. Each coat is to be rubbed until the rag 



appears dry, and too much varnish must not be put on the 
rag at one time. Be also very particular to have the rags 
clean, as the polish depends in a great degree upon keeping 
everything free from dust and dirt. 

Silvering, 

Leather, cloth, wood and similar materials are silvered 
by processes similar to those used for gilding, (page 20), 
silver leaf being substituted for gold leaf. Metals may be 
silvered either by brazing a thin sheet of silver to the sur- 
face or by electro-plating. Frequently, however, it is desired 
to lightly silver a metal surface, such as brass or copper, so 
as to make any figures engraved thereon appear more dis- 
tinct. Clock faces, dials and the scales of thermometers and 
barometers are cases in point, and if the surface be well 
lacquered with white lacquer after being silvered, such a 
coating is very durable. Silvering fluids or powders con- 
taining mercury should never be used unless the articles are 
to be afterwards exposed to a red heat so as to drive off the 
mercury. A silvering fluid which is very commonly sold to 
housekeepers under the name of Novargent or Plate Beno- 
vator, consists merely of nitrate of mercury or quicksilver. 
When rubbed on a copper cent or a brass stair-rod it gives 
it at once a bright silvery surface, but the brightness soon 
fades and the article, if brass, becomes black and dirty, 
while if it should be a piece of plated ware it will be ruined. 
Stair-rods and similar articles, if well silvered with powder 
No. 1 and then lacquered with good lacquer, will present a 
white silvery appearance for a long time. Plated goods 
should be recoated by the electro-plating process. 

Silvering Powder. — 1. Nitrate of silver, 30 grains ; com- 
mon salt, 30 grains ; cream tartar, 200 grains. Mix. Moisten 
with water and rub on the article with wash leather. Gives 
a white silvery appearance to brass, copper, etc. 



2. Novargent. — Add common salt to a solution of nitrate 
of silver until the silver has all been precipitated. Wash 
the white precipitate or chloride of silver and add a strong 
solution of hyposulphite of soda until the white chloride is 
dissolved. Mix the resulting clear liquid with pipe-clay 
which has been finely powdered and thoroughly washed. 

3. Silvering Amalgam. — A coating of silver, heavier than 
can be obtained by the above, may be given by the follow- 
ing process: Precipitate silver from its solution in nitric 
acid by means of copper. Take of this powder ^oz. ; common 
salt, 2oz.; sal ammoniac, 2oz.; and corrosive sublimate, 1 
drachm. Make into a paste with water. Having carefully 
cleaned the copper surface that is to be plated, boil it in a 
solution of tartar and alum, rub it with the above paste, 
heat red hot and then polish. 

Skins— Tanning and Curing. 

Curing Fur Skins. — The following are the directions 
given in the Trapper's Guide, by Newhouse, an experienced 
trapper and hunter. 1. As soon as possible after the animal 
is dead, attend to the skinning and curing. The slightest 
taint of putrefaction loosens the fur and destroys the value 
of the skin. 2. Scrape ofl' all superfluous flesh and fat, but 
be careful not to go so deep as to cut the fibre of the skin. 
3. Never dry a skin by the fire or in the sun, but in a cool, 
shady place, sheltered from rain. If you use a barn door 
for a stretcher, nail the skin on the inside of the door. 4. 
Never use ** preparations" of any kind in curing skins, nor 
even wash them in water, but simply stretch and dry them 
as they are taken from the animal. In drying skins it is 
important that they should be stretched tight like a drum- 
head. 

To prepare Sheep Skins for ifa^5.— Make a strong lather 
with hot water and let it stand till cold ; wash the fresh skin 



in it, carefully squeezing out all the dirt from the wool ; wash 
it in cold water till all the soap is taken out. Dissolve a pound 
each of salt and alum in 2 gallons of hot water, and put 
the skin into a tub sufficient to cover it ; let it soak for 12 
hours and hang it over a pole to drain. When well drained, 
stretch it carefully on a board to dry and stretch several 
times while drying. Before it is quite dry sprinkle on the 
flesh side loz. each of finely pulverized alum and saltpetre,! 
rubbing them in well. Try if the wool be firm on the skin ; 
if not, let it remain a day or two, then rub again with alum ; 
fold the flesh sides together and hang in the shade for 2 
or 3 days, turning them over each day till quite dry. Scrape 
the flesh side with a blunt knife and rub it with pumice 
or rotten stone. Very beautiful mittens can be made of 
lambs' skins prepared in this way. 

SMns of Bahhiis, Cats and small Animals. — Lay the skin 
on a smooth board, the fur side undermost, and fasten it 
down with tinned tacks. Wash it over first with a solution 
of salt ; then dissolve 2Joz. of alum in 1 pint of warm water, 
and with a sponge dipped in this solution, moisten the sur- 
face all over ; repeat this every now and then for 3 days. 
When the skin is quite dry take out the tacks, and rolling 
it loosely the long way, the hair side in, draw it quickly 
backwards and forwards through a large smooth ring until 
it is quite soft, and then roll it in the contrary way of the 
skin and repeat the operation. Skins prepared in this way 
are useful in many experiments and they make good gloves 
and chest protectors. 

Staining Wood. 

This process may be used either for improving the natural 
color of wood or for changing it so completely as to give it 
the appearance of an entirely different kind of timber. Thus 
a light mahogany may be greatly improved by being made 



darker, and there are many other kinds of timber that are 
greatly improved by a slight change iu their color. The fol- 
lowing notes will be of use in the latter direction : 

A solution of asphaltum in spirits of turpentine, makes 
a good brown stain for coarse oaken work, which is only in- 
tended to be varnished with boiled oil. 

When discolored ebony has been sponged once or twice 
with a strong decoction of gall-nuts, to which a quantity of 
iron filings or rust has been added, its natural blackness 
becomes more intense. 

The naturally pale ground and obscure grain of Honduras 
mahogany^is often well brought out by its being coated first 
with spirits of hartshorn and then with oil which has been 
tinged with madder or Venetian red. 

Grayish maple may be whitened by carefully coating it 
with a solution of oxalic acid to which a few drops of nitric 
acid have been added. 

Half a gallon of water in which ^Ib. of oak bark and the 
same quantity of walnut shells or peels have been thorough- 
ly boiled, makes an excellent improver of inferior rose- wood ; 
it is also far before any other of its kind for bringing out 
walnut. 

Raw oil mixed with a little spirits of turpentine, is 
universally allowed to be the most efficacious improver of 
the greater number of materials. Beautiful artificial grain- 
ing may be imparted to various specimens of timber by 
means of a camel-hair pencil, with raw oil alone, that is, 
certain portions may be coated two or three times very taste- 
fully, so as to resemble the rich varying veins which con- 
stitute the fibril figures ; while the common plain parts, 
which constitute the ground shades, may only be once 
coated with the oil, very much diluted with spirits of tur- 
pentine. The following are a few useful stains : 

Mahogany. — 1. Water, 1 gallon ; madder, 8oz.; fustic, 
4oz. Boil. Lay on with a brush while hot, and while wet 



HANDBOOK. 33 

streak it with black to vary the grain. This imitates Hon- 
duras mahogany. 

2. Madder, 8oz.; fustic, loz.; logwood, 2oz.; water, 1 gal- 
lon. Boil and lay on while hot. Resembles Spanish ma- 
hogany. 

8. A set of pine shelves, which were brushed two or 
three times with a strong boiling decoction of logwood chips 
and varnished with solution of shellac in alcohol, appear 
almost like mahogany both in color and hardness. After 
washing with decoction of logwood and drying thoroughly , 
they received two coats of varnish. They were then care- 
fully sand-papered and polished and received a final coat of 
shellac varnish. 

Imitation Ebony. — Wash any compact wood with a boil- 
ing decoction of logwood 3 or 4 times, allowing it to dry 
between each application. Then wash it with a solution of 
acetate of iron, which is made by dissolving iron filings in 
vinegar. This stain is very black and penetrates to a con- 
siderable depth into the wood, so that ordinary scratching 
or chipping does not show the original color. Some recipes 
direct the solutions of logwood and iron to be mixed before 
being applied, but this is a great mistake. 

Black Walnut Stain. — 1. Take asphaltum, pulverize it, 
place it in a jar or bottle, pour ner it about twice its bulk 
of turpentine, put it in a warm jjmce and shake it from time 
to time. When dissolved, strain it and apply it to the wood 
with a cloth or stifi* brush. If it should make too dark a 
stain thin it with turpentine. This will dry in a few hours. 
If it is desired to bring out the grain still more apply a 
mixture of boiled oil and turpentine ; this is better than oil 
alone. Put no oil with the asphaltum mixture or it will 
dry very slowly. When the oil is dry the wood can be pol- 
ished with the following : Shellac varnish, of the usual con- 



34 amateur's 

sistency, 2 parts ; boiled oil, 1 part. Shake it well before 
using. Apply it to the wood by putting a few drops on a 
cloth and rubbing briskly on the wood for a few moments. 
This polish works well on old varnished furniture. 

2. The appearance of walnut may be given to white 
woods by painting or sponging them with a concentrated 
warm solution of permanganate of potassa. The effect is 
different on different kinds of timber, some becoming stained 
very rapidly, others requiring more time for the result. 
The permanganate is decomposed by the woody fibre ; brown 
peroxide of manganese is precipitated, and the potash is af- 
terwards removed by washing with water. The wood, when 
dry, may be varnished. 

Brown Stain. — Paint over the wood with a solution made 
by boiling 1 part of catechu (cutch or gambler) with 30 parts 
of water and a little soda. This must be allowed to dry in 
the air, and then the wood is to be painted over with another 
solution made of 1 part of bichromate of potash and 30 parts 
of water. By a little difference in the mode of treatment 
and by varying the strength of the solutions, various shades 
of color may be given with these materials, which will be 
permanent and tend to preserve the wood. 

Steel— Working and Tempering. 

Most amateurs will find themselves, at times, compelled 
to forge and temper their own tools, such as drills, cold 
chisels, etc. The following hints will be of service. 

Forging Steel. — Beware of over-heating the piece to be 
forged and also be careful that the fire is free from sulphur. 
Small drills are easily heated in the flame of a lamp or 
candle ; a Bunsen burner will heat sufficiently quite a good 
sized tool. Charcoal makes the best fire for large tools. If 
you are compelled to use common coal let the fire burn until 



HANDBOOK. 35 

most of the sulphur has been driven off. Do not hammer 
with heavy blows after the steel has cooled. By tapping it 
lightly, however, until it becomes black, the closeness of 
the grain is increased. 

To Restore lurnt Cast Steel. — Heat it to a bright cherry 
red and quench it in water. Do this a few times and then 
forge it carefully and it will be as good as ever. The various 
recipes for mixtures for restoring burnt steel are worthless. 

Hardening and Tempering Steel. — Heat the steel to a 
bright cherry red and plunge it in water that has been thor- 
oughly boiled and then allowed to cool. It will then be ** as 
hard as fire and water will make it," and too hard for any- 
thing except hardened bearings or tools for cutting and 
drilling glass and very hard metals. To make it stand work 
without breaking it must be tempered. To do this, polish 
the surface on a grindstone or with emery paper, so that 
any change in the color of the metal may be easily seen. 
Then heat the tool until the cutting edge shows the proper 
color, as given below. Large drills and cold chisels are 
hardened and tempered at one operation, the cutting edge 
being cooled and hardened while the upper part is left hot. 
When taken from the water the heat from the shank passes 
towards the cutting edge and brings it to the right degree 
of softness. Small drills have to be tempered in the flame 
of a lamp. A spirit lamp is best, and the neatest plan is 
to heat the drill a short distance from the point and allow 
the heat to flow towards the cutting edge. As soon as the 
right color is seen on the edge, the entire tool is plunged in 
water and cooled. In this way the shank is kept soft and 
the tool is not so apt to snap off. 

The following are the degrees of heat (Fahrenheit) and 
corresponding colors to which tools for different purposes 
should be brought : 



36 amateur's 

TEMPERATTJRE. COLOR. TEMPER. 

430*^ Very faint yellow. ) Very hard ; suitable for ham- 
450** Pale straw color. J mer faces, drills for stone, etc. 
470'' Full yellow. ) Hard and inelastic ; suitable 

>■ for shears, scissors, turning 
490^* Brown. ) tools for hard metal, etc. 

610** Brown with purple ) Suitable for tools for cutting 
spots. >- wood and soft metals, such as 

SBS*' Purple. ) plane irons, knives, etc. 



550^^ Dark blue 
560° Full blue. 



For tools requiring strong cut- 
ting edges without extreme 
^hardness ; as cold chisels, axes, 
cutlery, etc. 

600** Grayish blue verg- ) Spring temper ; saws, swords, 
ing on black. J 

Varnishes. 

It is in general more economical to buy varnishes than to 
make them on the small scale. Occasionally, however, our 
readers may find themselves in a situation where a simple 
recipe for a good varnish will prove valuable. We append 
a few recipes which are easily followed. 

White Spirit Varnish. — Rectified spirit, 1 gallon ; gum 
sandarach, 2|^lbs. Put these ingredients into a tin bottle, 
warm gently and shake till dissolved. Then add a pint of 
pale turpentine varnish. 

Shellac Varnish. — Dissolve good shellac or seed lac in 
alcohol, making the varnish of any consistence desired. 
Note. — Shellac gives a pale cinnamon colored varnish. 
Varnish made with seed lac is deeper colored and redder. 
If colorless varnish is desired use bleached shellac, an article 
which is to be had at most drug stores. 

Turpentine Varnish. — Clear pale resin, 51bs.; turpen- 
tine, Tibs. Dissolve in any convenient vessel. 

Varnish for Violins and similar articles. — Sandarach, 
6oz.; mastic, 3oz.; turpentine varnish, ^ pint ; alcohol, 1 



HAKBBOOIt. 37 

gallon. Keep in a tight tin can in a warm place until the 
gums are dissolved. 

White, Hard Varnish for Wood or Metal. — Mastic, 2oz.: 
sandarach, 8oz.; elemi, loz.; Strasbourgh or Scio turpentine, 
4oz.; alcohol, 1 quart. 

White Varnish for Paper, Wood or Linen. — Sandarach, 
8oz.; mastic, 2oz.; Canada balsam, 4oz.; alcohol, 1 quart. 

Mastic. — Mastic, 6oz.; turpentine, 1 quart. Tough, hard, 
brilliant and colorless. Excellent for common woodwork. 

Map Varnish. — Clear Canada balsam, 4oz ; turpentine, 
8oz. Warm gently and shake until dissolved. Maps, draw- 
ings, etc., which are to be varnished with this solution, 
should be first brushed over with a solution of isinglass and 
allowed to dry thoroughly. 

Varnish for Bright Iron-work.— Di^^oIyq 31bs. of resin 
in 10 pints boiled linseed oil and add 21bs. of turpentine. 

Black Varnish for Iron-work. — Fuse 40oz. of asphaltum 
and add ^ a gallon of boiled linseed oil, 6oz. red lead, 6oz. 
litharge, and 4oz. sulphate of zinc, dried and powdered. 
Boil for 2 hours and mix in 8oz. fused dark amber gum and 
a pint of hot linseed oil and boil again for 2 hours more. 
When the mass has thickened withdraw the heat and thin 
down with a gallon of turpentine. 

Waterproofing. 

Porous goods are made waterproof according to two very 
distinct systems. According to the first the articles are made 
absolutely impervious to water and air by having their pores 
filled up with some oily or gummy substance, which becomes 
stiff and impenetrable. Caoutchouc, paints, oils, melted wax, 
etc., are of this kind. The other system consists in making 
the fabric repellent to water while it remains quite porous 
and freely admits the passage of air. Goods so prepared 



38 amateur's 

will resist any ordinary rain, and we have seen a very por- 
ous fabric stretched over the mouth of a vessel and resist 
the passage of water one or two inches deep. The following 
recipes have been tried and found good. Most of those 
found in the recipe books are worthless. 

To render Leather Water-proof, — 1. Melt together 2oz.of 
Burgundy pitch, 2oz. of soft wax, 2oz. of turpentine, and 1 
pint of raw linseed oil. Lay on with a brush while warm. 

2. Melt 3oz. lard and add loz. powdered resin. This 
mixture remains soft at ordinary temperatures, and is an 
excellent application for leather. 

Water-jproof Gawoas for Covering Carts, etc.~9l gallons 
linseed oil, lib. litharge, lib. umber, boiled together for 24 
hours. May be colored with any paint. Lay on with a 
brush. 

To Make Sailcloth Impervious to Water, and yet Pliant 
and Durable. — Grind 61bs. English ochre with boiled oil, and 
add lib. of black paint, which mixture forms an indifferent 
black. An ounce of yellow soap, dissolved by heat in half a 
pint of water, is mixed while hot with the paint. This com 
position is laid upon dry canvas as stiff as can conveniently 
be done with the brush. Two days after a second coat of 
ochre and black paint (without any soap) is laid on, and, 
allowing this coat time to dry, the canvas is finished with a 
coat of any desired color. After three days it does not stick 
together when folded up. This is the formula used in the 
British navy yards, and it has given excellent results. We 
have seen a portable boat made of canvas prepared in this 
way and stretched on a skeleton frame. 

The following recipes are intended to be applied to woven 
fabrics, which they leave quite pervious to air but capable 
of resisting water. 

1. Apply a strong solution of soap to the wrong side of 
the cloth, and when dry wash the other side with a solution 
of alum. 



HANDBOOK. 30 

2. Take the material successively through baths of sul- 
phate of alumina, of soap and of water ; then dry and 
smother or calender. For the alumina bath, use the ordina- 
ry neutral sulphate of alumina of commerce (concentrated 
alum cake), dissolving 1 part in 10 of water, which is easily 
done without the application of heat. The soap is best pre- 
pared in this manner ; Boil 1 part of light resin, 1 part of 
soda crystals, and 10 of water, till the resin is dissolved ; 
salt the soap out by the addition of J part of common salt; 
dissolve this soap with an equal amount of good palm-oil 
soap in 30 parts of water. The soap bath should be kept hot 
while the goods are passing through it. It is best to have 
three vats alongside of each other, and by a special arrange- 
ment to keep the goods down in the baths. Special care 
should be taken to have the fabric thoroughly soaked in 
the alumina bath. 

3. Drs. Hager and Jacobsen remark that during the last 
few years very good and cheap waterproof goods of this 
description have been manufactured in Berlin, which they 
believe is effected by steeping them first in a bath of sul- 
phate of alumina and of copper, and then into one of water- 
glass and resin soap. 



MISCELLANEOUS KEOIPES. 



To remote the Blue Color imparted to Iron and Steel by 
exposure to Heat. — Rub lightly witli a sponge or rag dipped 
in diluted sulphuric, nitric, or hydrochloric acid. When the 
discoloration is removed, carefully wash the article, dry it by 
rubbing, warm it and give a coat of oil or it will rapidly 
rust. 

Size for Improving poor Drawing Paper. — Take loz. of 
white glue, loz. of white soap and |^oz. of alum. Soak the 
glue and the soap in water until they appear like jelly ; then 
simmer in 1 quart of water until the whole is melted. Add 
the alum, simmer again and filter. To be applied hot. 

To fix Pencil Marks so they will not rub out. — Take well- 
skimmed milk and dilute with an equal bulk of water. 
Wash the pencil marks, (whether writing or drawing,) with 
this liquid, using a soft camel-hair flat brush, and avoiding 
all rubbing. Place upon a flat board to dry. 

Cure for Burns. — A solution of bicarbonate of soda ap- 
plied to burns, promptly and permanently relieves all pain. 
A laboratory assistant in Philadelphia having severely burned 
the inside of the last joint of his thumb while bending glass 
tubing, applied the solution of bicarbonate of soda, and not 
only was the pain allayed but the thumb could be at once 
freely used without inconvenience. Bicarbonate of soda is 
simply the best baking soda. 

Care of Looking Glasses. — When looking glasses are ex- 
posed to the direct rays of the sun or to very strong heat from 



a fire the amalgam is apt to crystallize and the mirror loses 
its brilliancy. If a mirror is placed where the rays of the 
sun can strike it, it should be covered in that part of the 
day during which it is exposed. 

The best method of cleaning looking glasses is as follows : 
Take a newspaper, fold it small, dip it in a basin of clean 
cold water. When thoroughly wet squeeze it out as you do 
a sponge ; then rub it pretty hard all over the surface of the 
glass, taking care that it is not so wet as to run down in 
streams ; in fact, the paper must only be completely moist- 
ened or dampened all through. Let it rest a few minutes, 
then go-over the glass with a piece of fresh newspaper till it 
looks clear and bright. The insides of windows may be 
cleaned in the same way ; also spectacle glasses, lamp-glasses, 
etc. White paper that has not been printed on is better ; but 
in the absence of that a very old newspaper, on which the 
ink has become thoroughly dried, should be used. Writing 
paper will not answer. 

Laundry Gloss. — Various recipes have been given for im- 
parting a fine gloss to linen. Gum arable, white wax, sper- 
maceti, etc., have all been highly recommended and are, no 
doubt, useful to a certain extent, but the great secret seems 
to lie in the quality of the iron used and the skill of the laun- 
dress. If the iron is hard, close grained and finely polished, 
the work will be much easier. Laundresses always have a 
favorite smoothing iron with which they do most of their 
work, and many of them have the front edge of the iron 
rounded so that great pressure can be brought to bear on a 
very small spot instead of being spread over a space the size 
of the whole face of the iron. If smoothing irons have be- 
come rough and rusty it will pay to send them to a grinder 
to have them not only ground but buffedy(see article on Pol- 
ishing Metals), The greatest care should be taken not to al- 
low them to get spotted with rust and they should never be 
** brightened " with coarse sand, ashes, emery, etc. If it is 



necessary to polish tbem, rub ihem on a board, or preferably 
a piece of leather charged with the finest flour of emery, 
obtained by washing, or better still, jeweller's rouge. 

Kalsomine. — Professors of the '*Art of Kalsomining " 
affect a great deal of mystery, but the process is very sim- 
ple. It consists simply in making a whitewash with some 
neutral substance which is made to adhere by means of size 
or glue. It contains no caustic material like lime. Several 
substances have been used with good results. The best is 
zinc white. It gives the most brilliant effect but is the most 
expensive. The next is Paris white or sulphate of baryta. 
This, when pure, is nearly equal to zinc white, but unfortu- 
nately common wiiiting is often sold for it and more often 
mixed with it. It is not difficult, however, to detect common 
whiting either when alone or mixed with Paris white. When 
vinegar or better still, spirits of salt, is poured on whiting it 
foams or effervesces, but produces no effect on Paris white. 
Good whiting, however, gives very fair results and makes a 
far better finish than common lime. 

With any one of these three substances, or a mixture of 
them, a good whitewash or kalsomine may be prepared as 
follows : Select some very clear colorless glue and soak Jib. 
in water for 12 hours. Then boil it, taking great care that 
it does not burn, and this is best done by setting the vessel 
with the glue in a pan of water over the fire. When com- 
pletely dissolved add it to a large pail of hot water and into 
any desired quantity of this stir as much of the white material 
used as will make a cream. The quality of the resulting 
work will depend on the skill of the operator, but we may 
remark that it is easier to get a smooth hard finish by using 
three coats of thin wash than by using one coat of thick. 
If you have time for but one coat, however, you must give 
it body enough. In giving more than one coat let the last 
coat contain less glue than the preceding ones. 



To Stain Dried Grass, — There are few prettier ornaments, 
and none more economical and lasting, than bouquets of 
dried grasses mingled with the various unchangeable flow- 
ers. They have but one fault, and that is this, the want of 
other colors besides yellow and drab or brown. To vary 
their shade artificially these flowers are sometimes dyed green. 
This, however, is in bad taste and unnatural. The best 
effect is produced by blending rose and red tints together, 
and with a very little pale blue with the grasses and flowers 
as they dry naturally. The best means of dyeing dried 
leaves, flowers and grasses is to dip them into the alcoholic 
solution of the various compounds of aniline. Some of these 
have a beautiful rose shade ; others red, blue, orange and 
purple. The depth of color can be regulated by diluting, if 
necessary, the original dyes, with alcohol, down to the shade 
desired. When taken out of the dye they should be ex- 
posed to the air to dry off the alcohol. They then require 
arranging or setting into form, as, when wet, the petals and 
fine filaments have a tendency to cling together. A pink 
saucer, as sold by most druggists, will supply enough rose 
dye for two ordinary bouquets. The pink saucer yields the 
best rose dye by washing it off with water and lemon juice. 
The aniline dyes yield the best violet, mauve and purple 
colors. 

Signal Lights. — The following recipes are from the United 
States Ordnance Manual, and may be considered reliable. 
The composition for signal lights is packed in shallow ves- 
sels of large diameter so as to expose considerable surface. 
The burning surface being large, the light attains great in- 
tensity. This applies to all the recipes except that which 
directs the use of magnesium. 

Bengal Light, — Antimony, 2 ; sulphur, 4 ; mealed powder, 
4 ; nitrate of soda, 16. 

Blue. — Black sulphuret of antimony, 1 ; sulphur, 2 ; pure 



.a.aii.-a.xxL. »j j.»( o ox-olxi xyx>v/v/J\« 



nitre, 6. Grind to a very fine powder and mix thoroughly. 
See that the nitre is perfectly dry. This composition gives 
a bluish white light ; a deeper blue may be had by the addi- 
tion of a little finely pulverized zinc. 

Red. — 1. Saltpetre, 5 ; sulphur, 6 ; nitrate of strontia, 20 ; 
lampblack, 1. 

3. Nitrate of strontia, 20 ; chlorate of potassa, 8 ; sulphur, 
6 ; charcoal, 1. Note. — In using chlorate of potassa the 
greatest care is necessary. It may be powdered and other- 
wise handled safely when alone, but when combustible mat- 
ter of any kind is added to it the mixture becomes highly 
explosive and must be very gently handled. 

White. — 1. The best and most easily used is magnesium 
ribbon, which may be purchased of dealers in chemicals. A 
few inches of this, ignited by means of a spirit lamp or even 
by a little tuft of cotton soaked in alcohol and fired with a 
lucifer match, makes a light of surpassing brilliancy and 
power. It requires a slight knack to ignite the ribbon. 
Hold the end of it steadily in the outer edge of the flame 
and it will soon take fire. 

2. Saltpetre, 16 ; sulphur, 8 ; mealed powder, 4. Grind 
to a very fine powder and mix well. 



Just Published. Price 75 cents, in cloth. 

PLAIN DIRECTIONS 

FOE ACQUIHIXG THE ART OF 

SHOOTING ON THE WING. 

With Useful Hints concerning all that relates to Guns and Shoot- 
ing, and particularly in regard to the art of Loading so as 
to Kill. To which has been added several Valuable 
and hitherto Secret Recipes, of Great Practical 
Importance to the Sportsman. 

By an old gamekeeper. 

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A practical and well-written handbook, especially adapted for 
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Scientific American, 



THE PISTOL 



AS A 



WEAPON OF DEFENCE, 

In the House and on the Road. 
12mo. Cloth. 50 cents. 



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how to Choose a Pistol— Ammunition, different kinds; Powder, Caps, 
Bullets, Copper Cartridges, etc.— Best form of Bullet— How to Load- 
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how to clean it — How to handle and carry the Pistol— How to Learn to 
Shoot — ^Practical use of the Pistol; how to Protect yourself and how to 
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men do not consult their own safety and the public good by totally dis- 
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THE AMERICAN 

Journal of Microscopy. 

POPULAR SCIENCE. 



PROSPECTUS. 

The object of the Jottrnal of Microscopy is to diffuse a knowledge of the 
heet methods of using the Microscope; of all valuable improvements in the in- 
strument and its accessories; of all new methods of microscopical investigation, 
aad of the most recent results of microscopical research. Ihe Journal does 
not address itself to those who have long pursued certain speciallines of re- 
search, and whose wants can be supplied only by elaborate papers, which, from 
their thoroughness, are entitled to be called monographs rather than mere arti- 
cles. It is intended rather to meet the wants of those who use the microscope 
for purposes of general study, medical work, class insruction, ar d even amuse- 
ment, and who desire, in addition to the information afforded by text-books, 
such a knowledge of what others are doing as cau be derived only from a peri- 
odical. With this object in view, therefore, the publishers propose to mate the 
Journal so simple, practical and trustworthy, that it will prove to the advantage 
of every one who uses the microscope at all to take it. . 

ILLUSTEATIOSS— The Journal will be freely illustrated by engravings 
representii g either objects of natural history or apparatus connected with the 
microscope. 

TRANSACTIONS OF SOCIETIES.— The American Journal of Microscopy 
is not the organ of any Society, bat it gives the proceedings of all Societies 
whose officers send us a report. As the Journal is devoted wholly to Micro- 
Fcopy, and is ia good form and size for bindittg, no belter medium can be had 
for preserving the scientific records of any society. Matters of mere business 
routine we are frequently obliged to omit for waLt of room. 

EXCHANGES.— An important feature of the Journal is tlie exchange column, 
by means of which workers in different parts of the country are enabled, with- 
out expense, except for postage, to exchange slides and materials with each other. 

During the first two years of its existence, the subscription to the American 
Journal of Microscopy was only fifty ceiits p^r year, but at the request of 
more than two-thirds ot the subscribers, the size of the Journal has been 
doubled, and the price raised to 

ONE DOLLAR PER YEAR. 

Four copies for three dollars. Those who wish to economize in the direction 
of periodicals, would do well to examine our clubbing list. 

Foreign Subscribers. — The Journal will be sent, postage paid, to any 
country in the Postal Union for $1.24, or 6 shillings sterling per year. English 
postage stamps, American currency or American postage stamps taken in pay- 
ment. In return for a postal order or draft for £1 5s., five copies of the Journal 
will be furnished and mailed to different addresses. Make all drafts and postal 
orders payable to John Phin. 

BACK VOLUMES. — We have on band a few copies of Vols. land II, bound in 
lia dsoine cloth cases, which we offer for $1 25 each. Vols. I and II, bound, and 
the numbers of Vol. Ill, as issued, we offer for $2.50. We can no longer supp y 
complete sets of 1876-7 in sheets. To those who wish to examine the journal, we 
will send ten odd numbers for 25 cents. 

The Journal of Microscopy, from its very nature, is a visitor to the very 

best families, and its value as an advertising medium has therefore proved to be 

^much above that of average periodicals. A few select advertisements will be 

inserted at the rate of 30 cents per line, nonpariel measure, of which twelve 

lines make an inch. Address 

AMERICAN JOURNAL OF MICROSCOPY, 

P. O. Box 4875, New York. 



Just Published. 1 Tol. , 12ino. Neatly Bound in Cloth, Gilt Title. Price 75 cents. 

HOW TO USE THE MICROSCOPE. 

A Simple and Practical Book, intended for beginners. 

By JOHN PHIN, 

Editor of " The American Journal of Microscopy/' 

Second Edition. Greatly Enlarged, with 50 illustrations in the text, 

and 4: full-page engraviugs printed on heavy tint paper. 

O O 3Xr T 3E2 3?J- T S s 

What A Microscope is. — Different Kinds of Microscopes.— Simple Mi- 
oroscopes.— Hand Migniflers.— The Coddington Lsns. — The Stanhope 
Lens. — Raspail's Microscope. — The Excelsior Microscope.— Twenty-five 
cent Microscopes and how to make them. — Penny Microscopes. 

Co:npouND Microscopes.— Different kinds of Objectives. — Non- Achrom- 
atic Objectives. — French Achromatic Objectives— Objectives of the English 
.Form.— Immersion Objectives— Focal Lengths corresponding to the num- 
bers employed by Nachet, Hartnack and Gandlach. 

How TO Choose a Mickoscope. — Microscopes for Special Purposes. — 
Magnifying Power required for different purposes. — How ^ judge of the 
quahty*of the different parts of the Microscope. 

Accessory Apparatus.— Stage Porceps, Animalcule Cage, etc. 

Llluiiination. — Sun Light.— Artificial Light. — Bulls-Eye Condenser. — 
Side Reflector. — The Lieberkuhn.— Axial Light. — Oblique Light. — Direct 
Light. 

How TO Use the Microscope. — How to Care for the Microscope. 

How TO Collect Ob.jects.— Where to find Objects. — What to Look for. — 
How to Capture Them. — Nets. — ^Bottle-Holders. — Spoons — New Form of 
Collecting Bottle.— Aquaria for Microscopic Objects. — Dipping Tubes. 

The Preparation and Examination of Objects.— Cutting Thin Sections 
of Soft Sabsfcances. — Sections of Wood and Bjne. — Improved Section Cut- 
ter. — Sections of Rock. — Knives. — Scissors.— Needles. — Dissecting Pans 
and Dishes. — Dissecting Mici scopes. — Separation of Deposits from 
Liquids. — Preparing whole Insecv.?. — Feet, Eyes, Tongues, Wings, etc., of 
Insects. — Use of Chemical Tests.— Liquids for Moistening, Objects. — Re- 
fractive Power of Liquids. — Covers for Keeping out Dust. — Errors in Micro- 
scopical Observations. 

Preservation of Objects. — General Principles.— Recipes for Preserv- 
ative Fluids. — General Rules for Applying them. 

Mounting Objects. — Apparatus and Materials for: Slides, Covers, Cellg, 
Turn-Table, Cards for Making Cells, Hot-Plate, Lamps, Retort Stand, 
Slide-Holder, Mounting Needles, Cover Forceps, Simple Form of Spring 
Clip, Centering Cards, Gold Size, Black Japan, Brunswick Black, Shellac, 
Bell's Cement, SeaUng Wax Varnish, Colored Shellac, Damar Cement, Mar- 
ine Glue, Liquid Glue, Dextrine. — Mounting Transparent Objects Dry.— 
Mounting in Balsam.— Mounting in Liquids. — Mounting of Whole In- 
sects.- How to Get Rid of Air-Bubbles.— Mounting Opaque Objects. 

Finishing the Slides. 
Tttay be obtained from any Bookseller or News Agent, or will be sent by 
mail, postage paid, on receipt of price. 

THE INDUSTRIAL PUBLICATION COMPANY, 

p. 0. Box 4875. 176 Broadway, New York. 



mi%m:^M^ 




BOOKS AND |0 030 005 170 4 



PUBLISHED AND FOR SALE BY 

THE INDUSTRIAL PUBLICATION CO., 

lie BROAD AV AY, NEW YORK. 

THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF MICROSCOPY. A Monthly 
Journal giving an account of all improvements ia the microscope, in the 
methods of using it^ and of the results obtained. Finely jnastrated, $i.ob 
per year. Specimens free. Five back numbers {oddHo^ 15 cents* 

THE YOJNG SCIENTIST. A Bright Monthly for Boys and GirFs. 
Teaches how to make Boats, Kites, Microscopes, Telescopes, etc*, and 
how to worl: with Lathes, Fret Saws, etc. 50 cents a year. Samples free. 
Trnl trip (j. rat nths), 15 cents. . 

HOW TO USE THE MICROSCOPE : Practical Hints biitlie Selec- 
tion and Use of the Microscope. Intended for Beginners. By John 
Phin. Second Edition ; greatly enlarged with 50 illustrations in the text, 
and 4 full-page engravings on heavy tinted paper, jsmo, cloth, gilt. 75c. 

THE MICROSCOPE. By Andrew Ross. The best work on the 
elementary principles which govern the construction of the MicrpBcOpe. 
i2mo, cloth, gilt, ' :v .75c. 

DIATOMS: Pr-actical Directions for Collecting, Preserving, Trans- 
porting, Preparing, sue] Mounting Diatoms. By Professors A. Mead 
Edwards, CHRisToiHiiR Johnson, and Hamilton L.Smith. ■i2mo, cloth, 
gilt. -' _ - 3 . - - 75c. 

COMMON OBJECTS for the Microscope, r By Rev Jt G. Wood. 
400 illustrations, by TuFFER West. i2mo, boards. 50c. 

SIX DAYS OF CREATION. By John Phin. Wmo, eloth. 75c. 

SHOOTING ON THE WING. A simple and practical little work for 
Young Sportrmdn. i2mo, cloth, gilt- 75c. 

THE PIS"''C - as a Weapon cf Defence in the House and on the Road. 
Thorough and Practical., The only book published on this subject. 
i2n 0, cloth, gilt. . - 50c. 

L10HTNING RODS, and Ho^ to Construct them. By J«hn ^hin. 
The cnly book on. this subject that has not been written to advertise 
some patent lightning-rod. i2mo, cloth, gilt. 50C. 

ACCIDENTS: What to Do and How to Do it in Case of Accident. 
Bums, Cuts, Drowning, Poisons, Gunshot Wounds, Broken Bones, etc. 
i2mo, cloth. soc. 

FIVE HUNDRED AND SEVEN Mechanical Movements. By Henry 
T.Brown. Small 4to, cloth. Fully illustrated. $1.00 

AMATEUR'S HANDBOOK oT Practical Information for the Work- 
shop and the Laboratorx^. i2mo, boards. loc. 

insr ITl ESS- 
HOW TO SEE WiTH THE MICROSCOPE. A Book specially 

adapted to the Wants of Physicians and Naturalists. By Prof. J. E. 

Smith. -v i.- ' 

COMPANION FOR CHEAP MICROSCOPES. A Book for Begin- 

ners. By John Phin, Editor of the American Journal of Microscopy. 



Anyrof the above Books td'l be sent hy tnailf post-paid, on 
receipt of JPHee, 



